


baby, we need a baby

by Pogniscrow



Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Fluff, M/M, SO MUCH FLUFF, im sorry for all the fluff, it's 9k fluff, jinhwi, like youll die of fluff, mind numbing fluff, the ending is meh, unadulterated fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-18
Updated: 2017-11-18
Packaged: 2019-02-03 22:05:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12757077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pogniscrow/pseuds/Pogniscrow
Summary: Daehwi's done with the limelight. Now, he just wants to have a baby with his husband.





	baby, we need a baby

Daehwi slathers on his final layer of moisturizer for the night, his lithe fingers gliding along the planes of his flat cheeks. His face has aged quite nicely over the years, he likes to think. No longer the 17-year old member of one of, if not the, most successful rookie groups in K-Pop history, Daehwi still holds a sliver of that charm that their fans loved. Now 27 and done with his stint in the army, Daehwi still manages to keep his youthful vigor despite the venomous grasp of age, partially from Sungwoon supplying him with enough skincare to reinvigorate a dead fruit, and partially because he’s happy.

Now working as a full-time composer and producer together with Woojin in BNM, Daehwi has found a period of calm after his long and chaotic life in the limelight. His newfound life behind the glass window also came with the privacy he could never afford when he was still an idol, a privacy that led to him and Bae Jinyoung, his longtime partner, finally tying the knot.

Till now, Daehwi still cannot fully believe the sheer perfection of their whirlwind love story. The country called them “Nation’s Soulmates,” they still do now, from time to time.

Daehwi remembers when they first started, the subtle touches, the hidden smiles, the building affection. There were doubts, questions that plagued hearts too young to understand how true, everlasting love worked. There were fights, squabbles and thunderous outbreaks.

They even broke up for a time.

But the motions of the world seemed empty without each other. What Daehwi felt during that brief time without Bae Jinyoung was of otherworldly sameness. Everything still normal, bountiful and bright, but never as vivid as before. Sure, life without Bae Jinyoung was still a life he enjoyed, but after a month he came to the conclusion that a life with Bae Jinyoung was infinitely better.

Dating with different schedules proved difficult. Finding time to fit each other into their piled itineraries often meant sacrificing sleep for each other’s company, but each late-night rendezvous and ramyeon date in the park meant more than they ever knew. In each they found respite, a calmness in a storm of recordings, CF shoots and international schedules. In the short silence together, arms touching and hands holding, Bae Jinyoung and Lee Daehwi found peace.

It was a year after Daehwi finally called it quits with the idol life that Jinyoung decided that it was high time for the two of them to settle down. In typical Jinyoung fashion, everything was way too over the top and mushy, but Daehwi still remembers tearing up before conking him on the head with a whispered, “yes, you idiot.”

They wedded in LA, by the ocean. Daehwi’s mom teared up, Jisung bawled, and Woojin and Jihoon had a little competition of who could last longer without sobbing. But the tear he remembers the most was the solitary one that fell down Jinyoung’s cheek after they exchanged vows. He rarely showed that much emotion, his husband, but when he did you’d always know he was the sincerest. That tear meant a lot to Daehwi, and a whole lot more to Jinyoung.

Now, they live in Seoul with a new house and quiet life. Jinyoung has long since transitioned to acting and has been an established player in his field along with Jihoon.

Their life as Wanna One has ended. However, people still remember the Monster Rookies that took over South Korea like a tsunami on a beach town all those years ago. But today they were simply Producer Lee Daehwi and Actor Bae Jinyoung, and they were satisfied.

Right now, Jinyoung was on the bed reviewing the script for this new cop movie he would be starring in opposite Jihoon. He’s leaning on the headboard with the light of the lamp shedding pale yellow beams on the bulky bundle of paper in his hands. He has his reading glasses on, a result of reviewing too many scripts in the middle of the night, and his nose is scrunched slightly, a habit of his when he read.

It’s like any other night in their household, except tonight Daehwi feels different. Actually, not just tonight, but for many nights. He’s been feeling this gnawing, aching want, and he does not know how to bring it up with his husband. So, he settles with staying unsettled and closes the door to the bathroom to step into the warmth of their bedroom.

Jinyoung notices him as he approaches the bed and puts the script and his glasses down on the bedside table to invite Daehwi into a hug. He crawls into the cold sheets and allows himself to settle into Jinyoung’s warm embrace.

“How’s the script?”

Jinyoung brings him in as they settle more comfortably on the bed, with Daehwi’s upper torso almost entirely splayed across his chest.

“It’s good so far, I get to shoot Jihoon in the butt.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be working on the case together or something?”

“Yeah, but I somehow end up shooting him in the butt.”

“Send me a video when you shoot it,” Daehwi says as he buries himself into Jinyoung’s chest. Jinyoung giggles as he places a soft kiss into Daehwi’s scalp, “Woojin’s already requested for one.”

Of course, Park Jihoon and Park Woojin’s relationship wouldn’t be complete without blackmail. That’s how they operated, and some years together has shown that their almost dystopic relationship still worked despite almost killing each other every other week.

“We have a double date with the idiots next week, right?”

Jinyoung nods, “We also have that thing with my parents in Jeju the in a month. Are you all clear for that?”

Daehwi nods, “Yup, just moved some things around for some rookies group, no big deal.”

“We also have this thing you want to discuss but you don’t want to tell me,” Jinyoung says casually as he wraps them with the duvet.

Daehwi tries not to stutter, “I—”

Jinyoung is looking at him with a smirk as Daehwi tries to hide the shock in his face.

“We’ve been together for over ten years, give me some credit” Jinyoung says with a smile. Daehwi huffs as he raises his head to look at Jinyoung, “When did you get so observant?”

“I got it from my lovely husband.”

Daehwi hits him lightly on the chest, “Suck up.”

Jinyoung cups his cheeks and places a chaste kiss on his jutted lips, “I can’t believe even at 27 you’re still the cutest thing alive,” he says before laying them down so that he could look at Daehwi, “Now, spill.”

Daehwi bites his lip.

It started a few weeks ago when Jisung’s wife gave birth. Wanna One was invited to the baby shower and Daehwi could not help but envy the contentment plastered on Jisung’s face.

Their former leader had always wanted children and the moment he found out that his wife was expecting, he was absolutely brimming with excitment. From then on he became the model father-to-be any wife would envy. He moved his office into their house so he could be near his wife whenever she needed anything, and began revolving his life around his pregnant beau and life growing inside her stomach.

On the off days that they had a chance to catch up, Daehwi always found Jisung with dark circles threatening to take over his eyes, while still sporting the warmest smile he’d ever seen on him. And by the time the baby came, Jisung was just beaming. He looked like he was the one basking in the afterglow of childbirth with the way he clung onto his new daughter with so much love and care that Daehwi felt bloated.

It was in that moment that Daehwi knew he wanted. He’s done the stardom thing, he’s done the concerts, the recording sessions, and traveling around the world. Now, Daehwi wants to find a place to rest his battered body.

Now, Daehwi wants a home.

He had Jinyoung, sure, but he’s always wanted a kid to spoil and cherish. He wants what Jisung has, but he doesn’t know if Jinyoung wanted kids. He didn’t know if Jinyoung even ever entertained the idea of raising a child with him, and he knows that asking him should be something natural and expected, but for some reason there was something stopping him. What, he doesn’t know.

Now that Jinyoung’s looking at him expectantly, the time has come to admit to his troubles, “Remember Jisung-hyung’s baby shower.”

Jinyoung nods, his attention stilled at Daehwi, eyes warm and face calm as he listens to every word coming from his mouth.

“You remember how we never saw his eyes the entire afternoon because of how happy he was,” Daehwi says as he checks for Jinyoung’s reaction. There’s no indication of anger or confusion, so he goes on.  

“Well, I want that. I want that happiness.”

Jinyoung’s face does not falter. His eyes are still warm and he even manages to come up with a smile, “You want a kid?”

Daehwi is taken aback at his stoic reaction, not because he didn’t expect Jinyoung to react so nonchalantly about this. Rather, Daehwi in his many hours of rumination never painted his expectations of what Jinyoung would do. His husband’s reaction was never in his imagination, because he never knew Jinyoung’s stance about the entire thing. And for some reason this made Daehwi feel guiltier about the entire arrangement.

“Yes,” he whispers looking at Jinyoung, “I really want one with you.”

Jinyoung nods, “Okay.”

Daehwi’s about to splutter every reason he’s come up in the weeks leading up to this moment only for him to stop midbreath.

“What?”

“I saw the way you looked at Jisung-hyung. I already knew you were pining,” Jinyoung says as he gives Daehwi a warm smile, “That’s how I looked at you before, with so much want and hope.”

“And you made me wait a week!” Daehwi says suddenly attacking Jinyoung, “I’ve been this ball of tension because I was so scared of asking you and you just let me rot!” He’s assaulting Jinyoung’s shoulder now and his husband is just laughing up at him with the warmest smile.

“Ow!” he squeaks as Daehwi stabs at his ribs, “I thought you were mulling it over by yourself. I was just waiting to agree.”

Daehwi pouts as he stops his attack, crossing his arms, “Fine,” he huffs. Jinyoung takes the opening and captures Daehwi into his arms again, “We’re going to be dads, Hwi. You should be smiling.”

Daehwi does. He realizes that even if Jinyoung didn’t want a kid, he’d still be happy. Bae Jinyoung was his home after all, and he had enough love in him to keep Daehwi warm for a hundred winters. But Daehwi’s done with hoarding all this love, and Jinyoung feels the same.

They have enough love to last them a lifetime, sharing it with someone else seemed just about the right thing to do.

“I love you so much. 10 years and I’m still so helplessly in love with you,” Daehwi murmurs into Jinyoung’s lips.

His husband just smiles and keeps him close as he switches off the pale-yellow light cascading their faces.

They go to sleep content.

 

* * *

 

 

Woojin parks the car and faces Daehwi with a grunt, “Why am I accompanying you to the adoption agency and not your husband?”

“Because my husband and your boyfriend are in Jeju filming for their movie and this is the only time we could schedule with the agency, so stop asking,” Daehwi says with one breath. His partner has been complaining ever since he asked him to tag along yesterday and Daehwi just wants him to shut up.  

Woojin grumbles as they both step out of the car and start walking to the front door of the Brad New Beginnings Adoption Agency.

“Why me? You could have brought Youngmin-hyung or Donghyun-hyung, you know that kids don’t like me.”

Daehwi rolls his eyes, “They’re busy and I just needed someone to hold my phone while I video call Jinyoung.”

“So, in other words I’m your servant.”

Daehwi stops and puts his hand on Woojin’s shoulder, “Oh honey, you’ve been my servant for 13 years what are you talking about.”

“I regret being nice to you.”

“No, you don’t, so just shup up and come along.”

Woojin continues sulking as he and Daehwi enter the agency’s doors. Daehwi heads to the receptionist and fixes the details for their appointment before they’re led to the waiting area.

“You know that kids scare me, right,” Woojin whispers to Daehwi as they settle by the couch.

“Why are you whispering?”

“They might hear.”

Daehwi rolls his eyes as he tries to ignore Woojin’s incessant moping, “They’re not cannibals, hyung.”

“They might as well be.”

“You can’t be saying that, one of them might just become your nephew or niece,” Daehwi says with a wink.

Woojin looks at him with faint disgust as he detaches himself from his friend.

“You never really got that winking thing fixed, did you?”

Daehwi shushes him with two fingers, “It’s cute, because I’m cute.”

“You’re a 27-year old man, the only person who finds you remotely cute is your visually impaired husband.”

As if to make a point, Daehwi goes up to the woman stationed at the lobby and asks for directions to the comfort room. After she answers him, Daehwi smiles warmly before flashing her a wink. The woman’s reaction is immediate, as a slight blush invades her face when she returns to her work. Daehwi heads back to Woojin and shoots him a triumphant grin before sitting back down.

“You’re disgusting.”

“I’m still cute, because Jinyoung has good taste.”

Woojin eyes Daehwi warily about to say something, but Daehwi beats him to it.

“I retract my statement. Jinyoung has good taste in men.”

Just at that moment, a new woman walks up to them with a clipboard and motherly smile, “Mr. Lee?”

The woman smiles, “follow me”

 

* * *

 

They end up in one of the individual meeting rooms. It’s decently sized, with warm hues of yellow and orange moving through the walls. Woojin is stalking around the room like a lost child, while Daehwi looks through the individual files matched to their profile. They’ve met three candidates already, two boys and a girl. Daehwi likes them but he didn’t feel a connection to any of them, neither did Jinyoung, who had just disconnected because the director had to chat with him.  

“Woojin, call Jinyoung,” he says throwing his phone. Woojin fumbles, but manages to get a good grasp of mobile without dropping it.

Woojin mumbles about being mistreated but dials anyway. It rings twice before Jinyoung’s face is filling the screen.

“Hwi?”

“Jin” Woojin replies.

Jinyoung almost curses at the sight he sees. Woojin has implanted his nostril on the front camera of Daehwi’s phone, filling Jinyoung’s screen with nostril hair and what could possibly snot.  

“Woojin put Daehwi on the phone!”

There’s a distinct, defeated voice that goes, “What did that idiot do now?” they hear in as Woojin hands over the phone to Daehwi.

“Jinyoung, I’m meeting with the last one soon, are you good?”

He nods, his face clear on the mobile device. The advances in technology had made even video calling come out so clean that Daehwi can tell the details of Jinyoung’s room. He’s in the trailer by the vanity table, he could see a foot behind Jinyoung that he assumes is Jihoon’s. Daehwi can see the little object strewn across the vanity table, bottles of skincare, makeup and a picture frame that holds their wedding picture—an item Jinyoung never fails to bring to out of town shoots.

 “Yup. We got things done early, so the staff said we can chill for now.”

“Hi, Jihoon!” Daehwi says, “Your boyfriend keeps complaining.”

Jinyoung moves the camera off his face to show Jihoon sprawled lazily on the couch, feet propped on their small coffee table.

“Hey, Daehwi.” He says with a smile. Jihoon may have grown more mature, but his face still looked infinitely youthful despite the fine lines that have creeped up on some ridges of his face. His eyes still sparkled when he talks and he still had really chapped lips no amount of lip tint could salvage.

“Woojin, don’t bite the children!” Jihoon screams after, “try to be useful for once in your life!”

Daehwi looks at Woojin to find him smiling mischievously from where he stands. “Daehwi, film me,” he says with a smirk.

Daehwi, not wanting to get in the way of a squabble between the two, complies directing the camera at Woojin.

Woojin starts jutting out his lips before he angles his thumb and pointer finger into a perfect 90 degree angle. His smiles maniacally before going, “Hi, my Jihoon, nue mam soge jeojang!”

Daehwi wanted to hurl his phone and Jihoon looked like he wanted to throw a kitchen sink.

“Park Woojin! I told you never to say those words to me again!”

Woojin just grabs the phone and starts reenacting Jihoon’s atrocious ‘kku kuu ga ga’ before making kissy faces into the phone, while Daehwi stares at the disaster unfolding in front of him before he hears the distinct sound of the door opening and closing.

Daehwi turns his head and finds a little girl with her hands clasped in front of her standing in front of a lanky woman. The girl is wearing a paisley ballerina dress that comes to her knees and a white hair band affixed on her straight black hair that reaches her nape. She has flat cheeks and a little button nose that Daehwi wants to pinch, but what drew Daehwi in was her eyes—one with a double eyelid and the other a monolid.

“Woojin,” he says quietly, “put Jinyoung on the phone.”

Even Woojin is quiet as he looks at the girl. He turns  the camera to show the girl standing by the door for Jinyoung to see.

Daehwi stands up and starts walking toward her before he squats down to level their faces.

“Hello,” he says, “I’m Daehwi, you’re Areum, right?”

She nods nervously as her eyes go from Daehwi to Woojin.

The worker leads them to the table, letting Areum sit beside her. Woojin quickly sits beside Daehwi directing the camera with Jinyoung to focus on the girl.

“Hello,” Jinyoung says over the phone, “My name is Jinyoung, what’s your name?”

Areum squirms a bit in her seat before looking at Jinyoung’s pixelated face, “Areum,” she says softly as she looks on nervously.

“Areum, you tell them what you like doing,” the woman says in a warm tone.

The little girl looks at the director warily. Daehwi notes how her hands cling and crumple soft fabric of her dress.

It’s Jinyoung’s warm voice that warms up the sudden silence, “Areum, don’t be nervous, we want to know.”

She gulps, “I-I like to sing.”

Daehwi has to stop himself from cooing at her. His hands are shaking and he wants to engulf her in a hug, “Can you show, us?” he asks tentatively.

She looks at the woman, who nods in response. She takes a tentative breath then a big one and opens her mouth to sing. It’s a folksong that she probably hears from one of the attendants who frequent her room. She starts soft, her voice cracking at the edges, but her tone gets louder when she sees Daehwi smiling at her, the delicate tone of her voice carrying her through the rest of the song. She ends with a shy cough as she recedes to gripping onto her dress once again.

The lady leads her out of the door before coming back to talk to Daehwi, Woojin and Jinyoung.

“She’s been with us ever since she was an infant,” she says, “it’s been hard to find her foster parents because of how reluctant she’s been. This was the first time she finished a song. She usually ends it halfway,” she says with a warm smile, “I think she likes you.”

Daehwi smiles, “Well, I really like her too.”

She leaves to fix some papers, giving Daehwi and Jinyoung (and Woojin) some time to talk amongst themselves.

“Jinyoung, what do you think?”

Daehwi looks at the screen to find his husband smiling fondly, “I don’t know why. I’m not even there, but I want her. Daehwi, I really want her.”

“Jinyoung, she has different eyelids, did you see? I just wanted to hug her and love her. Jinyoung, I want her, it seems like I’m rushing it, but Jinyoung I think we found her.”

His husband stays silent. He just looks at Daehwi with a smile like he’s discovered something new again, like he’s found another reason to smile when he looked at Daehwi.

“If you think we found her, then we found her.”

 

* * *

 

Daehwi leaves the agency in good spirits. Their next meeting with Aerum is scheduled for next week, by that time Jinyoung would have wrapped up filming in Jeju so he could finally meet Areum.

Woojin revs the car and they head back to BNM for an afternoon recording. Daehwi stays quiet as he thinks of Areum’s soft smile, her quiet disposition, and the way her eyes sparkled when she sang.

“Woojin, she’s perfect.”

He doesn’t respond immediately, eyes tacked on the road, but Daehwi could feel the tension in him. Woojin’s been silent ever since they left the agency and it was pretty odd for Woojin to keep his mouth shut for a prolonged amount of time.

 “Daehwi, I realized something when we were in that room.”

“Are we having a moment?”

“Yes, so shut up.”

Daehwi hides his smile, “Zipped.”

“We’ve been through so much together, and now you’re taking another step. Do you think I should be taking a step too, with Jihoon?”

 Woojin looks at Daehwi with the brotherly smile he dons whenever he gets sentimental, or when he could not properly understand his feelings. They bicker a lot, but Woojin is family, always has been and always will be. They’ve stuck with each other from JYP to BNM to Wanna One, always them, the dynamic duo. They found fame, fortune and love together, and they’ll face this new chapter together as well.

 People often called Jinyoung and Daehwi soulmates because of how perfect their love story unfolded. How fate drew them a path and weaved a love that endured beyond time and space. But Woojin was as important to him, because fate did not weave their story, hardship did. They fought through circumstances and doubt to form something even the powers of fate could not erode.

Because if Bae Jinyoung is Daehwi’s lovely circumstance, then Woojin is his tale of fire and ice.

And as Woojin gazed at Daehwi with that fond smile, the one that always reassures Daehwi that he had a brother in battle, he can’t help but be thankful to Woojin for everything he’s done.

“I’m afraid, can you help your hyung out?”

Woojin often took the hyung role when it came to most circumstances, but he still remains an emotionally constipated man with more pent up feelings than a woman on her third trimester of pregnancy.

 Woojin needed a whole lot of emotional laxative and counted on Daehwi to provide it for him.

“If you really want to settle down, just do it,” Daehwi says.

“Did you ever think that Jinyoung would propose to you?” Woojin asks, fingers fidgeting on the steering wheel.

“No, but even if we didn’t get married, I think we’d still end up like this, if I’m being honest.”

Woojin grinds his teeth as they near the BNM building, “I think Jihoon is expecting something from me, is all.”

“You can ask him you know,” Daehwi says as Woojin parks in his slot. Woojin puts the car on park and faces Daehwi.

“I think I should propose.”

Daehwi wants to laugh because Park Woojin was so obliviously obvious.

“Have you dropped hints?”

Woojin suddenly turns scarlet as he scratches his head, “Maybe.”

 If Daehwi knew Woojin, (and boy did he know Woojin) dropping hints meant flinging Molotov cocktails at Jihoon’s face.

Daehwi smacks Woojin on the head, “What did you do?”

Woojin fumbles with his fingers, “Um, I,” he laughs nervously as Daehwi give him _the look_ , the one he reserved for “Woojin is an idiot” specials.

“I bought a test puppy.”

“You’re not making sense, so you’d better explain before I feel the need to ram your car into a wall.”

“I borrowed a puppy and told Jihoon that this should be a good test of our relationship.”

Daehwi’s hands are on Woojin’s next so quick, Woojin swears he saw time ripping at the edges of Daehwi’s well-manicured fingernails.

“DO YOU EVEN KNOW HOW TO THINK!?”

Woojin just flails helplessly as Daehwi tries to murder him in his own car, “I’m asking Rhymer to ban you from the canteen for a fucking week, you dimwitted buffoon!”

It becomes a tragic tale of Woojin attempting to survive being assaulted by his junior. Daehwi, finally, lets Woojin go after what seems like an eternity of fighting. He tries to not to fling his phone at the cowering man across him, choosing instead to call Jihoon.

He answers after two rings.

“Jihoon.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you think dating Woojin was a good idea?”

He hears Jihoon sigh, “I didn’t know he’d be this stupid.”

“I won’t be offended if you break up with him right now. Hell, just say the word I’ll murder him for you.”

Daehwi sometimes thinks he should be thankful, but it’s a wonder this same gratitude can transform into loathing with a flick of a wrist, or in this case, a slip of the tongue.

Jihoon laughs from the other line, “I can’t take you up on the offer. I still kinda love his ass.”

“Just tell me when he’s being a complete idiot again, okay?” Daehwi says eyeing Woojin scathingly.

“Yeah, thanks. Tell him to eat. He forgets to eat when he works.”

Daehwi smiles despite himself. Jihoon really did cherish Woojin. He remembers when they were just two boys bickering all the time. He remembers how friendship and fondness blossomed into love, how suddenly their touches turned from brotherly to intimate. And he remembers the first time he saw them cuddling in bed, arms locked around each other like they were afraid that it would be the last time.  

“Sure, I’ll keep him alive while you’re out. Just make sure Jinyoung doesn’t die.”

“Will do, bye Daehwi.”

He drops the phone and looks at Woojin with pity, “Look, if you want to propose or whatever, just do it. But the guy loves you, so don’t let him go, because if you do I’m going to rip you a new one.”

Woojin nods as Daehwi opens the door and heads into the studio.   

 

* * *

 

 

Jinyoung and Daehwi are on their way to the agency and the weather had been especially dreary today, with spats of rain pattering away all morning.

“So Woojin is finally proposing to Jihoon,” Daehwi says reading Woojin’s latest update on the BNM group chat.

Jinyoung chuckles as he they stop by an intersection, “Jihoon was so miffed last week. He kept sulking in between takes.”

“He told you about the test puppy?”

“More like screamed it to me.”

Daehwi internally curses Woojin, “That mad?”

Jinyoung chuckles, “Jihoon mellowed out after Wanna One, but Woojin always gets him into a special place of anger.”

“Because he’s too frustrating for his own good.”

Jinyoung chuckles as he parks the care and puts it on park, “Did he say how?”

Daehwi is back on his phone as he reads through a long block of text that Jinyoung is Woojin’s plan and by the way Daehwi’s face continually scrunches in annoyance. he’s assuming Woojin’s plan were not that well-planned.

“The idiot wants to buy another dog instead of actually just telling him straight up ‘will you marry me.’”

Jinyoung looks at Daehwi’s expression change from annoyed to indifferent, “Whatever, he’ll sink or swim with his stupid plan. I’ve got my own problems to deal with.”

Jinyoung steps out of the car before rounding the car to shade Daehwi as he climbs out. Daehwi had once again color-coordinated their outfits. It’s been a habit of his ever since they were younger, especially when they went to the airport. His husband, then boyfriend, would choose their theme and layout the clothes they would be wearing for the next day. They’ve done it less as they grew older, but Daehwi always makes it a point to have couple outfits during very special occasions.

Daehwi stays close to his husband, Jinyoung curling an arm around his waist to huddle close together as they walked to the small building.

They get to the meeting room with Areum already sitting on the little table in the middle of the room. She’s in a white dress today, her hair tied together in pigtails. She seems different now, brighter and less nervous.

Daehwi immediately squats next to her with a warm smile, “Hi, Areum, you’re alone today?”

She nods, “I wanted to be alone with you.”

Daehwi feels something in him soar, it feels like the very first time he Jinyoung smiled at him. It was hope, excitement, and attraction that he could not fully put into words.

“Well, we wanted to spend time with you too.”

Daehwi looks over at Jinyoung who’s been standing by the door all this time and gestures for him to come over, “This is Jinyoung, do you remember him?”

Areum nods, “On the phone.”

Jinyoung nods, “Hi, it’s really nice to finally meet you.”

Areum just smiles in reply as she stands, “The lady says you want to become my parents.”

Jinyoung and Daehwi nod in unison, “We do.”

Areum looks at them with curious eyes, “Why?”

Daehwi looks at her with the fondest smile, “Because we think you’re a special girl who deserves our special love.”

She cards her fingers through her hair as she stands to and suddenly holds Daehwi’s hand, “I want to sing again.”

Daehwi smile widens as Areum leads him to sit. She notices that Jinyoung is still standing still by the table so she scurries to take his hand, leading him to sit in the corner with Daehwi.

“Can you sing with me?”

Daehwi and Jinyoung look at each with sudden smiles before nodding to the little girl, “What would you like to sing?”

“I only know folk songs that they teach me,” she says with a small frown, “I don’t know any other song.”

“Do you want us to sing something for you?” Jinyoung says.

It’s warm and tender, the way his husband’s voice carries through the room. Jinyoung always held a graceful lilt in his voice. It’s like a blanket, the fleece one you favor when rain patters relentlessly against a window pain.

He felt it and Daehwi is certain that Areum felt it as well. His heart swells as she nods vigorously. Daehwi can’t explain the eruption of affection bursting from every nerve-ending of his body, how each moment with this little girl made him feel that much closer to being a parent.

Jinyoung looks at Daehwi, “Daehwi, you should sing.”

But Daehwi didn’t want to. He wants Jinyoung to make Areum feel the warmth he loves so much. He wants Areum to fall in love with him too.

Because for Lee Daehwi, falling in love with Bae Jinyoung was the easiest thing in the world, and he had no doubt this would be the same for the little girl sitting in front of them.

“I want you to do it,” he says, “make it special.”

Jinyoung shakes his head, but doesn’t deny his husband. He just sits and scrunches his face before fixing his postures to stare at the little girl and sings:

_I miss you_

_Saying this makes me miss you even more_

“Spring Day,” of course. Daehwi smiles, this was special. The song was his turning point, the moment Bae Jinyoung found the hearth of his voice and tune of his spirit. Where Bae Jinyong transcended.  

It was the song that lit the way to his path to stardom. That was the song that made South Korea fall in love with him, Daehwi included.

No wonder he’s using it to woo a 4-year old, because Spring Day Bae Jinyoung could never be denied.

His voice is deeper now, less fragile. What was still the unsure instrument of a boy too afraid to shine, now resonated with more confidence, vigor and life. Today, he sings with age and experience, he sings now with fulcrum of his career craning through every fiber of his body. He sang now as a professional, sleek, emboldened and confident beyond measure.

Daehwi looks at Areum and finds her entranced by Jinyoung’s singing, her mouth slightly agape and her eyes trained at every vibration coming from his husband’s throat.

Jinyoung’s eyes are closed, with his hand clasping gently to his heart, a habit he’s taken to doing whenever he sings. He finishes the song to a rousing applause from Areum and he smiles.

“Can you teach me how to sing it?” she asks her eyes looking hopefully at Jinyoung. She clambers into his arms and sits comfortably between his legs, leaning her body into him. Jinyoung is all smiles as he gently tells her the lyrics of the song. Daehwi stands and takes out his phone, careful to not disturb the two as he snaps a picture of them.

Daehwi looks at the picture and can’t help the grin that takes over his face. They looked perfect.

 

* * *

 

 

“Wow, she’s so cute,” Jihoon says as he looks at the picture on Daehwi’s phone. The four of them are in a restaurant for a celebratory dinner of Woojin and Jihoon’s next big step—moving in with each other. In the end, Woojin didn’t think marriage was something that fit their relationship, so they settled with finding a house for the two of them. Woojin had moved into Jihoon’s apartment and now they’re in the process of selling Woojin’s place so they had some collateral for the new house they’re planning to buy.

“Jinyoung just sang Spring Day and she fell in love,” Daehwi says as he takes the lettuce wrap prepared for him. They created this method whenever they went out with Woojin and Jihoon, Jinyoung prepared the meat and wraps while Daehwi blabbered about the things happening in their lives.

Woojin has his arm around Jihoon and he looks the most satisfied he’s been in a while.

“Well it worked on you,” Woojin says haughtily, “but I bet he could have sung Oppa Gangnam Style and you’d still think it was the most romantic thing you ever heard.”

Daehwi fixes his gaze on Woojin, eyes dangerously turning into slits and lips curled into a testing smirk, “Are you really going to try?”

Woojin immediately deflates under the Daehwi’s intimidating glare. Anyone who had any remote contact with Daehwi knew that he had the propensity to shift from a boy with too bubbly a personality to a boy with enough bite to disintegrate crush even the strongest of spirits.

And having been with Daehwi for almost half of his life, Woojin knew the monstrous tongue hiding behind his usually upbeat smile.

“No.”

Daehwi stops glaring, taking the wrap and eating it in one bite. Jinyoung smiles at him while he fixes his husband another wrap, his eyes twinkling as he regards Daehwi warmly.

Jihoon looks at the two who had receded into their own little bubble of otherworldly adoration for each other and blurts, “Do you ever look at me like that?”

There’s no secret longing biding at the end of his words, just general curiosity, and maybe a slight edge of revulsion.

“Of course I do!”

Jihoon looks at him skeptically, “Are you sure? Can you do it like how Jinyoung does it?”

Woojin looks at the other side of the table where Jinyoung is staring at Daehwi with that same sparkle in his eyes when they first started dating all those years ago. Bae Jinyoung looked like he was drowning in pure happiness and he was just looking at the man he’s been with for ten long years.

Then he looks at Jihoon, “Okay, I can’t do that and you know it. Why are you even asking?”

Jihoon looks passive as he fiddles with his plate of food, “I just thought it would be nice for someone to tell me that I my boyfriend looked at me like I was the most important thing in his life.”

Woojin moves closer to Jihoon as he lowers his hand to hold his waist, “Do you feel like I don’t love you?”

Jihoon pushes Woojin’s face away, “No. I’m just tired of people saying that you look like you haven’t eaten in ten years.”

“Is this because of the cast dinner?” Woojin implores more forcefully, “I really didn’t eat that day, I’m sorry that I ate all the appetizers by mistake.”

Jihoon rolls his eyes as he sees Daehwi and Jinyoung snickering at them, “So what did the parents think about the baby news?” he asks as Woojin starts blabbering apologies to his ear.

Daehwi smiles, “Mom’s happy she has someone else to spoil, Rhymer wants to be the first one to meet her when she gets home, and the Baes are ecstatic.”

“Have you told Wanna One?”

Daehwi shakes his head, “I only told you guys and Jisung-hyung. Jinyoung told Minhyun-hyung.”

Woojin has finally finished his apologizing after Jihoon pinches his cheek and pushes him back to his seat, “When do you plan on telling the others?”

“We decided to tell other people once we’ve finished all the papers,” this time it’s Jinyoung who speaks, his voice soft and even as he looks at the two.

“We want to settle everything before telling anyone.”

Jihoon smiles. Jinyoung has been one of his best friends over the years and he has watched him grow every step of the way. He still remembers when they met during Produce 101, when he still looked like a little bud in a field of blossomed roses. When he still looked to the ground like it held the answers to all his lofty prayers, when he avoided others gaze as he cowered into himself, so nervous and so, so afraid of messing up.

Thankfully, Jihoon and Jinyoung hit it off marvelously, and that day he gained an important friend. But the biggest change in Bae Jinyoung was when the biggest, most veritable rose Lee Daehwi saw in him not a bud, but a flower ready to bloom.

Jihoon saw it happen, the smile that started it all. He saw the bud catch light, saw it wriggle into the sun. Daehwi made him blossom like no one could. He made Bae Jinyoung smile like every waking moment was a treasure.

It was funny how they saw in each other what they didn’t see in themselves. How Jinyoung relished the evergreen beauty that pulsed through every fiber of Daehwi’s being, and how Daehwi always, always saw not a river, but an ocean of talent and goodness rushing through Jinyoung.

It fascinated Jihoon how Jinyoung seems to keep on growing with Daehwi by his side.

He never pegged Jinyoung to want children so soon, but when he came to Jihoon one sleepy night with a grin so wide and hands jittering like he’d just injected ten cups of espresso into his veins, he knew Daehwi had something to do with it.

Jinyoung told him how excited he was, how raising a child was something he never thought of doing, how he and Daehwi signed up for a meeting already, and how irrevocably in love he was at the prospect of starting a family with his husband.

Jinyoung suddenly saw something to build beyond his life as an actor. Jihoon doesn’t know why people would suddenly want children, but upon seeing his friend he thinks he has a hunch.

He thinks that Jinyoung has gotten bored thinking of just himself or of Daehwi. Maybe, he’s grown tired of giving love to a relationship that could weather any storm.

Maybe now he wants to grow something more beautiful.

And as Jihoon looks at Jinyoung’s proud face while Daehwi reminds him of how wonderful he was with Areum, he could only hope that he could be that happy one day. That he could be that unselfish one day.

Then Woojin’s hand is on his and his smile is warm like a hearth in the middle of winter. Maybe it may happen sooner rather than later.

 

* * *

 

 

Daehwi and Jinyoung’s next meeting with Areum comes on a balmy Saturday with a slight breeze flowing through the city. They walk hand in hand to their usual meeting room of warm oranges and verdant yellows, surprised to see Areum standing at the far end with a crown of flowers on her head.

The table that usually stood at the center was now gone, replaced by two wooden chairs facing the far-end of the room where the little girl stands with a soft white chiffon Sunday dress that cuts just below her knees.

She looks like she’s humming to herself, almost like she was rehearsing for something. When they close the door, the child turns to them with a soft flush on her cheek.

“Oh, Ajhusshi,” she says shyly as she tucks her hand behind her back.

“What’s happening here?” Jinyoung asks still looking at the unusual setup.

“They told me you used to be famous singers,” she says shyly looking at the ground her little foot making circles on the carpet, “I wanted to do something special.”

Daehwi doesn’t know how the little girl was able to surprise him during each visit, but she does.

“Are you going to sing for us?”

She nods meekly.

Daehwi takes a glance at Jinyoung, who nods in response, and they make their way to the two seats for them.

“It’s one of your old songs,” she says as they settle down, “I’ve been practicing it since last week.”

Daehwi and Jinyoung stay silent as Areum stands tall and casts them a nervous smile. She takes a breath, soft and tender, before starts to sing.

_Slowly close your two eyes_

_And feel what we've shared_

_All the memories, All the promises_

_Even the familiar faces_

Daehwi’s hand slowly reaches for Jinyoung’s. He remembers this song. How can he not? This was the promise they knew they could never really keep. They could never promise and always, not with the nature of their contract, not when their group was just for rent.  

Suddenly memories of Wanna One rush back into his mind. The memories of nervous beginnings and doubtful middles, of untasteful recognition and bitter goodbyes. Daehwi remembers the emotion, the tension and the drama of a life filled with experiences too riveting to ever be forgotten.  

It’s been a chapter he’s closed a long time ago, but the memories are still fresh.

Daehwi closes his eyes and thinks of the world he’s left behind, of the youth he’s grown out of and he feels at peace. The voice dancing in his ears caresses him with memories of the time that was. But it tickled his ears of the possibility of a future with something brighter, something more worthwhile.

He opens his eyes to find Areum already bowing.

Jinyoung is still holding his hand. His husband too is sporting damp eyes, but he’s smiling as he fondly looks at the little girl who just sang her heart out.

Daehwi rises and applauds, his husband follows suite.

Areum smiles bright, teeth and gums bared in utter relief, “Thank you, she says,” her voice choking up as Daehwi and Jinyoung continue to cheer her on.

Then suddenly tears start streaming down her delicate face, as she starts to hiccup in emotions that seem to be gnawing at her for quite some time. Daehwi and Jinyoung are immediately on her, cradling her back and kneeling to her level.

“Areum, why are you crying, calm down. It’s okay, we really loved your song. We loved it so much, darling.”

This causes the girl to cry harder as she leans her head on Daehwi’s shoulder, “I-I,” she chokes, “I’m sorry, but I really want you to like me.”

“Baby girl, we already do,” Daehwi says as he wipes away her tears. He looks at Jinyoung and he nods, twice, “and if you would allow it, we’d like to adopt you.”

Areum raises her head in shock, tears fresh and flowing down her rosy cheeks, and she nods before burying her face into Daehwi’s chest.

They stay like that until she calmed down, the three sporting matching faces of contentment.

 

* * *

 

The ride home sees Jinyoung and Daehwi in relative silence. They were going to officially be Areum’s parents and everything felt so surreal. Daehwi usually blabbers on about Areum as Jinyoung listened and join it from time to time. Today is different.

Tonight, Jinyoung breaks the silence.

“We have to fix the guestroom,” he says, “I want to have light paisley wallpaper put on it.”

Daehwi looks over at his husband and sees him smiling, “I want to get her dresses, she really likes dresses. Then we can put flowers on her bed and then we can buy her toys, maybe a small piano or a guitar,” he continues, his eyes sparkling with a glee that he only sees when Jinyoung is really, really excited.

“I want to make her favorite food when she moves in, I want to make sure that everything is perfect. She’s so perfect Daehwi, she so fucking perfect.”

The reality seemed more daunting then he originally foresaw, but if Jinyoung is smiling like he was ready to commemorate a statue in her honor, well Daehwi thinks that things will work out in the end.

 

* * *

 

Preparing for Areum’s arrival entailed many different things. First thing was notifying their close friends of the newest addition to the Bae-Lee household, which meant telling the former members of Wanna One.

The reactions were diverse, to put it lightly. Jaehwan all but screamed into the receiver with so much enthusiasm that Daehwi thought he suffered temporary hearing loss for a few hours. Sungwoon might have cried, Daehwi doesn’t know, there were sounds that sounded alien when they told him over the speaker phone, even Jinyoung was afraid. Ong was the calmest of the bunch, just gasping and congratulating them with enthusiasm and awe. Daniel didn’t believe them at first, started laughing at them for a good minute until they finally got him to realize that yes, they were getting a daughter. Guanlin, though a decade older than he was during their Wanna One days, still sounded like that enigmatic boy with too loud a laugh on the phone as he congratulated his hyungs.

The next order of business was preparing the room for Areum’s arrival. Just as Jinyoung said, they decorated the room with paisley, varying colors of orange, yellow, red and green blending into each other as they took over the walls of the room. They then got a white twin bed that they decorated with tendrils of plastic roses, daises and sunflowers. The final touch was a small piano at one corner of the room painted pastel pink.

“Are you ready?’ Jinyoung asks as they survey the room. Daehwi looks around and yes, he thinks he might just be.

“We’re going to be fathers,” Daehwi says, “we’re going to get a daughter.”

Jinyoung brings Daehwi closer and leans his head on his shoulder, “Why do you sound so sad about it?”

Daehwi releases a tentative breath, “I’m just scared.”

Jinyoung raises his head off his husband’s shoulder and looks at him tentatively, “Why?”

Daehwi actually doesn’t know why he suddenly feels nervous, why suddenly he feels like his heart can’t take the disappointment that looms somewhere in the future.

“Can we promise her the world? Can we really give her the happiness she deserves?”

Jinyoung turns him in his arms so that they were facing each other. Daehwi looks at this husband’s face, his jaw has become exceedingly sharp over the years, and his cheekbones have become more pronounced, the boyish brilliance that made him ever so attractive stayed intact.

“Why are you so nervous, it’s usually me who’s nervous?”

That’s partially true. When they started out, yes it was Daehwi who often took the plunge before Jinyoung, but as the years passed and Jinyoung built his confidence, things started to change. Daehwi didn’t leap pulling a hand with him, now they took it together. And most recently, Jinyoung became bolder with decisions. From moving in with each other, marriage, and now this. Jinyoung had taken the big steps for them and Daehwi is both touched and proud of how far they’ve come.

“I don’t know, I don’t want to fail as a father. I-I want to be there for her always.”

Jinyoung takes him in, and embraces him warmly, “We will, we’ll be there.”

It’s still a sensitive topic, Daehwi’s father. He still sometimes longed for his touch again, for his warmth; for just a minute, a moment, a second. He wanted to show his father where his love brought him.

“Enjoy the day,” Jinyoung says, “enjoy today, then enjoy tomorrow, then maybe hate the day after. But live right now, we’re happy right now. We have a right to be.”

Daehwi smiles warmly and tightens his grasp on Jinyoung’s waist.

“Thank you, you always know what to say,’ he murmurs into his chest.

“You know I learned to enjoy each day when we were in Wanna One,” Jinyoung sighs as he sways them together, “Because I knew that each day meant one day less with them, and with you.”

Daehwi blushes as he pinches Jinyoung’s side, “Don’t do that.”

Jinyoung flinches and gasps at him, “What did I do?” he squeals with a smile.

“Don’t make me blush, it’s embarrassing.”

Jinyoung coos, “But I just want you to know how much I love you,” he says trying to latch onto Daehwi again, “I love, love my lovely husband.”

Daehwi just laughs as Jinyoung tackles him to the rug peppering him with kisses and hugging him tightly.

Daehwi’s heart settles as he pushes himself into his husband and hears the calm beat of Jinyoung’s heartbeat. Yes, he should not be worried, not when has Jinyoung beside him.

 

* * *

 

The first thing Areum does when she enters her room is smile. She runs to her bed, then her closet, then the pastel piano in the corner. She screeches in glee and tumbles slightly as she sees all the pretty things she now has. Daehwi helps her try on her new dresses as Jinyoung takes pictures of the two. Areum then plays the piano with Jinyoung while Daehwi prepares dinner. The family of three gather for their first meal together with Areum still smiling big and bright as she digs into her galbi tang.

Daehwi sits there as Jinyoung and Areum eat, staring at the new life he suddenly has. Now, he and Jinyoung cooked for three. Now, they wake up earlier and make sure that breakfast is ready for when their daughter woke up. Free time now means spending time with their daughter rather than dates with Woojin or Jihoon. Things were going to change, but Daehwi feels less terrified. He starts digging into his dinner when Jinyoung gives him a look.

Daehwi just shakes his head and proceeds to eat, smiling to himself as silence takes over their household for the first time that day.

When they tuck Areum that night, she sighs contentedly sinking into her new mattress with much content.

“Good night baby, we’ll see you in the morning,” Jinyoung says as he wraps her snuggly into her bed.

 She smiles, “Good night, appa,” she whispers as a yawn escapes her and sleep takes her. Jinyoung places a peck on her forehead before he and Daehwi leave the room.

They settle into their bed in relative silence before Jinyoung turns off the lights and they both fall asleep.

They try.

Daehwi catches a few hours of sleep before he’s wide awake again, his eyes unable to keep shut. He fidgets and attempts another trip into dreamland only to find himself irrevocably brought back to the land of the living.

He doesn’t even take notice of what’s beside him, he just silently works himself out of the bundle of blankets and crosses the room into the hallway in silence. He then skitters to Areum’s room, creaking the door open.

He almost screams at the sight before him, a large figure sat at the foot of Areum’s bed, head leaning on the mattress as his eyes followed the soft breathes of the little girl sleeping in front of him.

“You look creepy,” Daehwi whispers as Jinyoung sees him entering the room. He silently enters the room and sits beside his husband, hugging his knees to himself as Jinyoung leans his head on him.

“I’m just really happy,” Jinyoung says as he leans closer, “She’s precious, I don’t ever want to leave.”

“Do you want to sleep here?” Daehwi says looking at Jinyoung, “we can sleep on the floor.”

Jinyoung nods, bolting out of the room to get blankets and a pillow.

Daehwi stays there watching his daughter slumber peacefully on her new bed.

“I’ll be here for you every step of the way baby girl, I’ll love you every day for the rest of your life. This I promise,” he whispers as he places a gentle kiss on her forehead.

There’s rustling behind him as Jinyoung comes bounding with two pillows and a comforter in hand. He lays the pillows on the ground and invites Daehwi to lie with him on the carpet.

Once settled, Jinyoung pulls Daehwi close to himself as they cover themselves with the blanket. They look at the bundle of blankets that was their daughter and smile.

“Goodnight, my loves,” Jinyoung whispers kissing Daehwi and closing his eyes.  As soon as Daehwi hears the calmed breath of his husband, he soon finds himself closing his eyes too.

He’s about to fall asleep when he feels a weight on his hand, he pries his eyes open to find Areum staring at him with droopy eyes.

“Can I sleep with you?”

Daehwi nods as he invites the little girl into his arms, putting her in between him and Jinyoung.

“Thank you,” she whispers as she settles into their warmth.

Daehwi looks at his new family slumbering in front of him and he feels warmth spread around and all over him.

“No, baby girl. Thank you. Thank you so much,” he whispers as he too lets the night take him to a peaceful slumber.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> this was inspired by Wanna One Go Episode 1 when Jinhwi were with the kids. there's really not much to it, I just wanted to write fluff, and here is 9k of that. 
> 
> this is unbeta'd so apologies in advanced.
> 
> if you want to cry over how bad this is, you can tell me over here:  
> twitter - @jinhwisupreme  
> curious cat - https://curiouscat.me/jinhwisupreme


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